Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay return to Toronto as New York Yankees

TORONTO — Vernon Wells has already had his return to the Rogers Centre.

In August 2011, Wells, the former Blue Jay, returned to Toronto as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. He was greeted with mostly cheers. After a home run off of Brandon Morrow in his first at-bat, that stopped.

“Obviously being back in the East and wearing this uniform, it’s a little different coming into this place,” Wells, now a New York Yankee after a spring training trade from the Angels, said. The Yankees started a three-game series in Toronto on Friday night. “But I don’t really think it matters what uniform you’re wearing. When you go into left field, it’s a barrage from pitch one to the last out. I’m looking forward to see what comes out of people’s mouths tonight.”

Wells as a Yankee is certainly a bizarre look. For so long, he was part of a Toronto team that could never figure out how to topple New York. In late 2006, he signed a US$126-million extension to remain with the Blue Jays. Almost immediately, that back-loaded contract became an albatross. General manager Alex Anthopoulos’ trade to send Wells out of Toronto in January 2011 seemed like a minor miracle, made to look even better once Wells struggled through two miserable seasons in Los Angeles. By the end of his second year, he was in Triple-A, ceding his outfield spot to the ascendant Mike Trout.

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The Yankees, beset by injuries, acquired both Wells and fellow ex-Blue Jay Lyle Overbay to make up for absences to the octogenarian lineup. A funny thing has happened: Wells and Overbay have both hit reasonably well, and have been not-insignificant parts of the Yankees’ surprising 8-6 start. Wells was hitting .271 with three home runs coming into the game, while Overbay was at .267. The Yankees are missing Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira.

“There’s outside expectations and there’s what we have in the clubhouse,” Wells said. “[Yankees general manager Brian] Cashman brought in a bunch of veteran guys that have been around the block and seen a lot of different things and asked us to come in and do what we can.

“In most of those cases, you can’t replace what’s missing. But [he wants us] to go out and be a complete lineup. That’s what we’ve done so far.”

For his part, Overbay came to New York after being cut by the Red Sox following a minor-league tryout. Overbay, a Blue Jay for five seasons, signed a three-day minor-league deal with the Yankees in response to Mark Teixeira’s injury, and made the team.

“I knew that, coming into the off-season, that I was going to be a late January signing — hopefully a major-league deal, but if not it might have been a minor-league deal,” Overbay said. “It’s hard to get two to tango. I feel good. But it’s hard to get teams that aren’t showing any interest to give interest.”

Obviously being back in the East and wearing this uniform, it’s a little different coming into this place

The crowd at the Rogers Centre lightly booed both Wells and Overbay before their first at-bats. Maybe they should have been cheering, though. It was the jettisoning of Wells and his contract that gave Anthopoulos the flexibility to make a big splash this winter, acquiring Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, R.A. Dickey and others via the trade market.

Wells and Overbay, however, were part of the last Blue Jays team that went “all in” to make a challenge for the division title: For the 2006 season, the Blue Jays acquired Overbay, Bengie Molina, A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan. That team finished 87-75, second in the AL East but never really a playoff threat.

“The thing is that you can play some really good baseball in this division and be really successful and still find yourself third,” Wells said. “That’s the nature of the East. To be able to find your way to the top, it takes a lot more than just great players. It takes some luck at different times. It takes some great timing in those cases.”